84
Steam cooking
Overview
If you follow the instructions for use steam cooking offers many benefits.
Healthy and natural, steam cooking preserves the full flavour of foods. The steam maintains
the taste of foods. It does not add odours, nor the taste of the grill or the pan. Furthermore,
it is healthy: it takes nothing away because the food is not diluted in the water; therefore
vitamins and minerals are better preserved. Moreover, no fats are used for this type of
cooking!
This kind of cooking releases no odours; therefore you can simultaneously cook meat, fish
and vegetables - you will save both time and money by cooking items side by side, but with-
out touching. For example, you can cook a fish next to a dessert.
Steam cooking is quick: cooking starts immediately, whereas for food in a water-filled dish
(boiling) the cooking time only begins counting down once the water returns to a full boil.
Steam cooking allows pasta, rice and mashed potato to be gently reheated with no risk of
food sticking or drying out. Steam is also appropriate for blanching, defrosting and warm-
ing (keeping a sauce warm for example). It is also possible to cook puddings, flans, rice
pudding etc, covered with aluminium foil - the water from the condensation does not add
moisture to the ingredients.
Words of advice
· There is no need to season the cooking water with herbs or spices; however, you can add
flavour in different ways, for example you can flavour a fish by placing it on a bed of herbs,
or make a savoury poultry dish more exciting by adding a bunch of rosemary or tarragon
to the dish.
· Food cooks faster and more evenly when cut into pieces than if left whole.
· To make meats (poultry, veal and pork) look more appetising, use a small amount of fat
in a pan to heat it on all sides so that it takes on a browned appearance, and then finish
cooking using the steam method.
· Always use fish or vegetables that are fresh - steam cooking will not have the same results
on fish or vegetables that have been left in the refrigerator for a week!
